Refrigerating apparatus



July 2, 1929. E L BARNES 1,719,417

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ffa; I. 1 Z5 ZZ ll-IGI W I TNESSES INVENIUR: L'ugezzallames,

TTORNE YJ July 2, 1929, E. BARNES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR; Eug/enel; Danza;

I TNESSES July 2, 1929. E. BARNES 1.719.417

REFRIGERATTNG APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 HC?. JW.

f Inn( I AT "EYS,

Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE L. BARNES, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK. ASSIGNQR TO THE BARBER ASPHALT OOMPANY. 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIR- GINIA.

REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS.

Application filed May 4, 1927. Serial No. 188,692.

My invention relates to iefrigerating apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for developing and utilizing the refrigerating effect from the working substance or refrigerant,-e. g., the evaporator and cooler of systems operating on the colnpicssioiicon densation-vaporization cycle. I aim to prnvide a simple, convenient, compact, and cfiicient vaporizing and cooling device. In suit.- able forms of embodiment,- such as hereinafter described, the invention lends itself to easy and expeditious manufacture in a variety of sizes, by assembly of standard parts that can be easily and inexpensively made out of sheet metal by die-stamping processes. The invention is particularly adapted and advantageous for flooded systems, as they are termed, in which a body of liquid in the lowl pressure side of the system gradually vaporizes or boils as it absorbs heat from the region or article that it is desired to refrigera'te. I have here shown and described embodiments of the invention suitable for use inl a.-refrigerating box or compartment such as the ice chamber of an ordinary household,e

refrigerator.

' In the drawings, Fig. I shows a side elevation of a device or apparatus conveniently embodyin the invention.

Fig. I shows a front elevation of the same apparatus.

Fig. III shows a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus, taken ,as indicated by the line III- III in Fig. II.

Fig. IV shows a vertical transverse section through the apparatus, taken as 1 ndicated by the line IV-IV in Fig. I.

Fig. V is an edge view of one of the upright vaporizing sections shown in Figs. I to IV.

Fi s. VI andfVII are edgeviews of sheet meta halves which may be united vto form such a section.

Fig. VIII shows a side elevation of a deviceV similar to that shown in Figs. I to VII, but of different proportions.

Fig. IX shows a front elevation ofthe device shown in Fig. VIII.

FigX is an edge view of one ofthe Vaporiz-` ing sections shown in Figs. and IX.

Fig. XI is a front elevation of a device larger than that shown in Figs. VIII and IX,

involving a different arrangement of the vaporizing sections of Figs. VIII and IX.

Fig. XII is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. XI.

As s hown in Figs. I to VII, the apparatus comprises a series of upright transverse vaporizing sections 15, together with a common longitudinal refrigerant chamber or drum 16, and one or more longitudinal coolin chambers or compartments for material to be refrigerated. In the present instance, there are two such cooling compartments 17 and 18, the former an approximately square chamber adapted for keeping food, freezing desserts, or the like, and the latter a wide, shallow, horizontal chamber adapted to contain one or more trays for freezing ice cubes or the like. As shown in Figs. II and IV, the refrigerant chamber 16 is located at the upper riglithand corners of the sections 15, and the cooling chamber 17 at their upper lefthand corners. The cooling ch mber 18 is located at or in the lower portions of the sectionsl, directly beneath the refrigerant chamber 16 and the cooling chamber 17.

As shown in Figs. I to IV, the refrigerant chamber 15 has the character of a cylindrical drum or large tube extending` from one section 15 to the next at or in suitable openings in the walls of said sections, and itself opening into or communicating with their interiors. In the present instance, the tube or drum lengths between adjacent sections 15 are not separate, but consist of one single long tube," extending unbroken through Vall the sections 15, though pierced with a plurality of holes or openings 19, 20 in its lower and upper portions, so located and of such size and number as to afford ample passage for liquid and/or vaporous refrigerant fromvdruin 16 to sections 15 and vice versa. i Besides the openings for the refrigerant chamber 1G, the sections 15 have openings through which the cooling chambers 17, 1S extend and thus the sections 15 are of a grid-like character. However, the openings for the cooling chambers 17, 18 have their edges closed. vAs shown in Figs. I and III, the rear end of the drum 16 is closed by a cylindrically tlangedcover 21 fitting and Y permanently secured therein, while itsfront end is provided with a flange 22 for the attachment of a removable cover late2i3, which may be secured by means of As sliwn in Fig. II,`the cover '23 is provided Witlftapped openings 25 for such connections to the rest of the rcfrigerating system as may be desired, including inlet and outlet for liquid and vaporous refrigerant.

'lhe vaporizing sections l5 are shown as of thin, flat forni, and are preferably made of sheet metal. -\.:s shown in Figs. Vl and VII, each section 15 consists of Wight" and left" dished sheet metal halves 26, 27, which may readily be formed by a dicstaniping operation. lVhen these halves are brought together, as shown lin Fig. V, the lateral edge flanges of the half' 26 fit within those of' the half 27, so that the flanges may readily be secured together fluid tight by soldering, brazing, or welding. rIhe lateral flanges 28, 29 around the openings for the cooling chambers 17, 18 interfit and are secured together in a similar manner. The lateral flanges 3U, 31 aroundthe openings for the refrigerant drinn 16 are turned outward or reversed (as conipared with the flanges 28, 29), so that they may readily be secured to the exterior of the drum 16l by soldering, brazing, or welding after the sections have been put in place on the drum, as shown in Fig. III.

The cooling chambers 17 and 18 may be inserted in the openings in the sections 15 after the latter have-been properly mounted and secured on the drum 16, and may be secured to said sections 15 in any suitable inan' ner (as by soldering, brazing or welding),

so as to assist in bracing said sections relative to one another and to the drinn 16,-thus protecting the fluid tight joints of said sections with the drum 16 against injury from accidental blows or impacts to which said secv tions 15 may be subjected.

It will readily be seen from Figs. I, III, and IV, especially, that the vaporizing sections 15 afford free passage for the liquid refrigerant all around the cooling chambers 17 and 18, and are in intimate thermo-conductive contact with them all the way around. Thus the absorption of heat from the chambers 17 and 18 is most effective. Also, the liquid and vapor circulate freely around the drum 16, and have free passage out of and into it through the openings'v 19, 20. 'llie sections 15 have ample heat absorbing surfaces freely exposed to the atmosphere of the compartment in which the device is located,-with ample room for circulation of the air around the sections and aroundv the drum 16. The air thus cooled by the sections 15 and theidrum 16 also comes freely in contact with the chambers 17 and 18 intermediate the sections 15.

It will be apparent that by lengthening the chambers `16, 17 and l8r-or by spacing the vaporiz-ing sections 16 lnore closely,-the exposed surface and cooling capacity of the device can be increased to any extent desired.

Figs. VIII, IX, and X illustrate an apparatus similar to that of Figs. I to VII, but larger. In the present instance, it not `only has half a dozen vaporizing sections 15 as against four sections 15 in Figs. I to VII, but also has four of the tl'i`in,`flat horizontal cooling chambers 18 as against one such cooling chamber 18 in Fig. VIII. The only dill'erence that this requires in the parts em ployed is an increase in the height of the sections 15 in correspondence with the greater number of cooling chambers 18, and a lengthening of the parts 16, 17, 18 t'o correspond to the. greater'nuinber of sections 15,

Ffgs. XI and XII illustrate the construction of :in apparatus of yet larger size and cooling capacity out of` grid sections 15"1 such as shown in Figs. VIII, IX, and X. As here shown, the individual sections 15al are exactly like those of Figs. VIII, IX, and X; but instead of being all arranged With'their openings for the refrigerant drum 16 at the right, as in Fig. IX, they are arranged with these drum openings at right and left alternately, so that the alternate sections 15a project to opposite sides of the drum 16, andthe sections appear staggered in plan (Fig. XII). Also, the sections 15a are spaced more closely together along the drum 16 in Fig. XII than in Fig. VIII. As shown in Figs. XI and XII, there are ten of the alternately reversed vaporizing sections 15, spaced-more closely than in Figs. I, III, and VIII; and there are food chambers-17, 17 at both sides of the drum 16, extending through 'the openings in the correspondingly projecting sections 15. In this instance, there is only a single vertical central stack of chambers 19,-not so Wide as those of Figs. I to IX,- extending through the overlapping ends of the corresponding openings in the staggeredly arranged sections 15a (Fig. XI).

Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y

1. A refrigerating apparatus of the character described comprising a series of upright transverse hollow vaporizing grid sections, with a longitudinal refrigerant duct extending through openings in thev sections and pierced with openings into their i teriors, the duct being in fluid tight relation with the openin s in the sections, and a longitudinal cooling chamber also through openings in said sections.

2. A refrigerating apparatus of the character described-comprising a series ofj-up-v right transverse hollow sheet metal Vaporizing grid sections with outward-flanged openings in their upper portions, allongitudinal refrigerant drum in said openings secured fluid tight to their flanges and pierced'with openings into the interiors'of said sections, and a longitudinal cooling chamber mounted in other openings in said sections.`

3. A refrigeratig 'apparatus of the character described comprising Va. .series of vaporizin grid sections and a refrigerant duct exten ing through and communicating in a fluid tight manner with the sections, the latter being staggered to right and left alternutely with reference to said chamber.

4. A refrigerating apparatus of the character describedcomprising a series of upright transverse vaporizing sections, a common refrigerant duct extending through and communicating in a fluid tight manner with said sections, and a longitudinal cooling chamber also extending through said sections, and having Iits walls conductively connected to said sections.

5. A refrigerating apparatus of the character described comprising a series of upright transverse hollow vaporizing 'd sections with a central longitudinal re rigerant chamber in upper corner openings formed in the right and left sides of the sections in alternation, and longitudinal cooling compartments mounted in other openings 1n said sections.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Buifalo, N. Y., this 28th day of April, 1927.

EUGENE L. BARNES 

